Hotels Craft Inviting Image With User-Generated Content

ByElisabeth Rosen ·

13 April 2016

With 40% of millennials relying on user-generated content to determine their travel plans, Luxury Hotel brands have begun integrating UGC more broadly across site pages.

Last year, only 16% of Luxury Hotel brands integrated UGC onto property pages. This year, that number has more than doubled, according to L2’s Digital IQ Index: Luxury Hotels. Moreover, 14% of Index brands include UGC on the landing page, up from 4% last year.

Four Seasons excels at both incentivizing guests to share UGC and turning that content into a discovery engine. The brand’s “Focus on Four Seasons” Instagram contest tempts entrants with a chance to win a six-day photography getaway at two different Four Seasons properties. On the brand’s landing page, visitors can upload their own photos and view others’ images – each of which links to the relevant property.

Hilton also leverages UGC as a discovery mechanism. The brand invites users to share their travel “vision boards” for a chance to win a two-night stay at a Hilton property. On the dedicated microsite, users can not only build their own vision boards but also scroll through those created by other travelers, where they can discover new Hilton destinations.